


twice the tears, twice the love

by beemotionpicture, Riverthunder



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Pediatrician Stephen, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-01-06 20:11:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18395510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beemotionpicture/pseuds/beemotionpicture, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riverthunder/pseuds/Riverthunder
Summary: When Harley falls sick, Tony brings him to his pediatrician - who just so happens to be Stephen, single father to Peter.There’s a whole lot of flirting, Parent Trap shenanigans, and falling in love.(AKA Harley Stark and Peter Strange set their fathers up, while Tony and Stephen are just along for the ride.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> beemotionpicture: for my IronStrange Bingo 2019 Free for All square.

Tony frowned, feeling Harley’s forehead. The boy was running a fever, and had been sick for two days now.

At first, Tony had brushed it off as a stomach bug- nothing to get too concerned over. Though Harley had resented the medicine and that his father insisted on rest, he seemed to enjoy the excuse to stay home with his dad and watch movies instead of doing schoolwork. However, the boy didn’t seem to be doing any better. If anything, he might be worse.

 _Or I’m just paranoid_ , Tony thought to himself. “Try to finish your breakfast, kiddo,” he said, trying to sound upbeat rather than scared to bits. “We’ve got to get going if we’re going to make it to your doctor’s appointment on time.”

 

"Just this once, okay?" He murmured. "I know you get sad sometimes but we can't make it a habit to miss school. All right?" Stephen kissed Peter on the forehead.

Peter chewed on his lip, ducking his head. Stephen smiled down at him, a look rarely seen on his usual stern face- or at least, it was rare to anyone but Peter.

Stephen held his hand all the way from their car to his office, his secretary cooing at the sight of his son. There were stuffed toys strewn all around, padded furniture and colorful prints on the walls. "Here," he said, setting Peter up at the little table in the corner of his room. "Will you be alright?"

Peter nodded, and finally Stephen called for the first patient to be sent in.

 

Tony carried little Harley into the office, letting his son hug him around the neck. He was holding a stuffed golden retriever in one arm- the one whose ears had so often reminded Tony of his precious Pepper.

“Hello,” Tony said, trying to be polite despite his nerves.

_It had started as just a cold._

_Stop that_ , he admonished himself. He set Harley on the examination table, and took his first look at the room- _wow_ . Harley’s Doctor was cute. _Really_ cute. Pretty green eyes, hair that was just starting to turn silver in a very sexy way, facial hair to die for- Tony shook himself mentally. Now was not the time to be admiring beautiful men.

He caught sight of another boy in the office, and blushed. “Sorry,” he said, looking back to the doctor, “I thought you called for Harley Stark- did I hear you wrong? I didn’t mean to try and take someone else’s appointment....”

He trailed off awkwardly.

“Harley!” said Peter, his eyes widening in surprise. “I haven’t seen you in forever! Are you okay?”

Stephen looked up from his chart, smile freezing on his face at the sight of the man in front of him. There weren't that many Tony Starks in the world, but that wasn't what surprised him.

No, it was that Tony Stark was _hot_ , and it was like he'd just gotten the memo.

Stephen cleared his throat and was just about to answer- _his son is sick, Strange, for the love of god_ \- when Peter spoke up.

"...Peter?" Harley sniffled, looking at him with dull, glassy eyes. Still, he immediately perked up at seeing his friend and whined to be let down, squirming in Tony's grip and ignoring the two adults. "I missed you!"

“Be careful,” Tony said quickly. “I don’t know if you’re contagious or not, you don’t want Peter getting sick too.”

However, he lowered the boy down to the ground and let him stand on his own two feet.

Tony glanced over at Stephen. “You’re, uh, Dr. Strange, right? This _is_ our appointment, isn’t it?”

“I missed you too!” Peter said, standing up. “Papa said I didn’t have to go to school today because I was getting so....” he trailed off, trying to think of the word Stephen had used, but failing and shrugging as he edited his sentence, “sad. How are you? Besides being sick, I guess....” he trailed off slightly awkwardly.

"Yes, I'm Doctor Stephen Strange," he finally gathered himself, nodding politely. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Stark. You too, Harley." He looked down at the boys curiously.

Harley paid him no attention, though. He looked like he considered going over to Peter, but instead he clutched at Tony's pant leg, looking flushed. He nodded vigorously, understanding immediately. Peter always got that look on his face when they talked about his mom. "I didn't want to miss school," he admitted. "I don't want you to be alone when you're sad."

“It looks like these two already know each other,” Tony said a bit lamely, watching with interest as Peter and Harley talked with one another.

“It’s not your fault,” Peter said. “I just...started missing her. But you feeling better is more important.” He frowned slightly, remembering for a moment the sadness of losing his mother, his grief during her funeral, and the stress as he adjusted to only having Stephen in his life to help him and look after him.

Then he grinned, looking suddenly mischievous. “If you wanna make it up to me, you could always sit next to me at lunch and play what I want at recess for a few days,” he teased.

Harley pouted. “...fine,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes- but he was smiling widely anyway. He looked like he was eagerly about to say something more, but suddenly he was overcome with a coughing fit. He squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered, leaning heavily against his dad’s leg.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Stephen began soothingly, crouching down so he was in front of the small child. He held out a hand, saying, “is it okay if I listen to your breathing? It sounds like a pretty bad cough.”

Peter’s face fell, watching his friend cough and whimper. He looked so sad and sick- Peter wished there was something he could do to help. He looked at his own dad, silently pleading with him to help Harley feel better.

 

“What do you think, kiddo?” Tony asked, his voice gentle. “Is that okay with you?” He gently ruffled Harley’s blond hair- the same shade as Pepper’s- as he spoke, hoping to comfort his son in some way.

“Okay,” Harley nodded at Stephen, looking miserable all the while. Then he added, “Because you’re Peter’s dad, you can’t be all that bad, I guess.”

Stephen chuckled slightly, bringing out his stethoscope. “Breathe in,” Harley did, sounding ragged, “Breathe out.” Equally difficult.

After an examination, he thanked Harley for being so patient and turned to Tony. “It’s not the worst it could be. Harley needs to be on antibiotics,” he said. “I can write you a script, but you’ll have to bring him back for a checkup in a week.”

Peter laughed at Harley’s comment. “He’s okay,” he said, giving Stephen an innocent look.

Tony visibly sagged with relief. The stress of Harley’s sickness had been taking a toll. “Sure,” he said, relieved. “Anything. I just want him to get better.”

He tightened his grip slightly on Harley’s shoulders. He was sure his son was annoyed by how overprotective he was, but Tony just couldn’t help it.

_He’s all I have left._

“Anything else?”

Stephen gave Tony a smile, but it was slightly sad. He knew that look; he'd seen it on his own face so many times.

"Listen, Peter, how about you put on a mask and play with Harley for a little bit? I need to talk to Mr. Stark."

Harley squinted up at him, looking unimpressed. Stephen shooed him away.

"I hadn't realized our sons were friends. I- I honestly didn't know he was so close with anyone, really."

“Harley, check out this puzzle,” Peter urged him, gesturing to a 3D orb puzzle with a single small silver ball inside it. “You’d like this one! It’s fun!”

Tony nodded to Stephen, watching Peter and Harley talk and play. “I knew Harley had a friend, but he never said too much to me about him. He’s...he’s been pretty introverted since his mom died.”

He glanced over at Stephen, wondering if he was about to cross some unspoken boundary. “I was thinking...maybe when Harley is feeling a little better, we could...I don’t know...they could play together? Maybe you and Peter could come by and visit occasionally, or something, if you like....”

He trailed off awkwardly, unsure of whether or not his suggestion was a welcome one.

Stephen dragged his gaze away from Harley and Peter to blink at Tony, pausing for a moment. After a moment, he finally nodded, smiling widely.

"I think Peter would love that." His eyes crinkled fondly at the corners and he tilted his head in gratitude.

"My wife- Peter's mother recently passed away." He glanced to the picture of the three of them on his desk. "...he misses her a lot."

Tony nodded slowly. “Harley’s mother passed away too,” he said softly. “About a year ago. Pneumonia.”

He frowned slightly, watching Harley tilt the puzzle experimentally.

“I guess you could say I’m pretty overprotective now,” he admitted, feeling a blush heat up his cheeks, and immediately feeling foolish for it.

"No...I get it. Believe me, I do," Stephen nodded somberly. He didn't offer any information himself, feeling that was a little too- _personal_.

Peter could solve that puzzle, but it didn't come as naturally as it did to Tony's child. Harley looked at the puzzle and barely fiddled with it, the motions to solve it coming easily to him.

"Harley's a clever one. I suppose he gets it from you," Stephen commented, smiling.

Tony smiled proudly at Harley. “And his mother,” he told Stephen, watching Harley tilt the puzzle from side to side to solve it. “She was brilliant.”

He thought of Pepper doing puzzles of all different kinds with Harley and felt a pang. She would have liked watching him solve this.

Peter watched Harley do the puzzle, grinning. “I knew you’d like that one,” he said, watching him work. “You’re really good at it.”

"Eh, this is easy," Harley said, trying to be nonchalant but failing miserably. He ducked his head and tried to hide his grin, feeling proud because Peter complimented him. His face was flushed, and not just because of the praise

Stephen chuckled at them, and he wished he didn't have to cut this reunion short. "Alright, Peter, we should let Harley get some rest, don't you think?" He turned to Tony apologetically, "I should be seeing my next patient about now, anyway. Could we...exchange numbers? So we can arrange something?"

 Peter pouted slightly at his dad’s words. Yeah, Harley needed rest, but Peter hadn’t seen him in _forever_.

 “Fine,” he said, a bit annoyed.

 “Of course,” Tony said quickly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take up too much of your time.”

 He quickly scribbled his number down on a piece of paper. “And Peter can call Harley whenever he wants,” he added. “I think both of them would like to chat sometimes.”

"Not at all," Stephen said, taking the paper and clutching it in his hand. He smiled at Tony, relieved and unbelievably grateful. "Thank you for this, Mr. Stark." He barely hesitated before placing a hand on Tony's arm, feeling the warmth underneath his palm. "I really appreciate it."

Harley huffed, giving Peter one last hug, murmuring something in his friend's ear. Then he went back to stand next to his dad, leaning on him heavily.

Tony felt his heartbeat begin to pick up when Stephen’s hand touched his arm.

_Harley’s cute doctor was touching him._

_Damn it, Stark, get it together,_ he scolded himself.

When Harley leaned against Tony’s legs, he felt like he was being called back to his senses. He gently lifted the boy up so he was hugging Tony around the neck instead of leaning against him.

“Come on, sport,” he said, resting his cheek against his son’s head in a comforting manner. “Let’s get you something sweet to eat for being so good at the doctor’s office. How about some ice cream?”

Peter tapped gently on Harley’s arm, holding out his stuffed golden retriever. “Don’t forget Virginia,” he reminded his friend. He knew the stuffed animal had become Harley’s favorite after his mom’s death, and didn’t want to know what would happen if he lost her.

Harley beamed down at Peter. "Thanks," he said, clutching the stuffed toy to him. He bit his lip, but he was smiling widely.

"Good bye, Mr. Stark. It was nice meeting you, Harley. Thank you for being Peter's friend," Stephen smiled gently at them while smoothing a hand over Peter's hair tenderly.

“Daaaaad,” Peter whined, though he gave Harley a grin. _Thanks_ , he mouthed to him.

“Goodbye, Dr. Strange. Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it. And thank you, Peter. I know Harley appreciates your friendship.”

Peter grinned a bit at the praise, then shot Harley a look and rolled his eyes, trying to send him a silent message. _Aren’t our dads weird?_

Harley grinned back at him. _Sure are, Peter_.

 

Stephen nodded politely as they left the room, but before he called in the next patient he sat in his chair, bemused. "Why didn't you tell me about your friend? I- I didn't know you got upset in school," he said, brushing his thumb over Peter's brow.

Peter shrugged, hugging himself as he glanced over at the door where Harley and his father had disappeared.

“I dunno. I just...I started to really miss Mom after she died, and...Harley gets it.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t always feel so sad, but...when he’s at school, I feel better, ‘cause he knows what to say.”

Stephen held his breath. "You can talk to me about anything." He held Peter's hand and squeezed it in his own trembling one. "I'm sorry that after your mother died, I couldn't be there for you. I love you _so_ much, Peter."

“It’s not that.” Peter didn’t want to meet Stephen’s gaze. It seemed insensitive to voice how he felt.

“You...you didn’t lose your mom when she died. It’s different. And Harley gets it, ‘cause he lost his mom too.”

Peter frowned slightly. “I feel like you understand how Harley’s dad feels better than how I do.”

He hardly thought he and Stark had anything in common...but perhaps Peter was right. He was more intuitive than Stephen ever was- he was never any good with people, after all.

"...yes," he said, pressing a kiss to Peter's forehead. "I understand, sweetheart." He gave a heavy sigh. "Are you feeling any better? Do you think you can go to school tomorrow even though Harley's not there?"

“I guess.” Peter frowned. It sounded to him like Harley wasn’t going to be at school for a while, and he didn’t like the idea of not seeing his friend for so long. “If I go to school will you let me call him and talk to him?”

"Of course," Stephen said, expression softening. "I'm sorry I didn't know about your friend. I'll talk to his dad, I'm sure he'll let you visit Harley while he's not at school. And I'm sure Harley would like some company."

“Okay,” Peter said, wandering back over to the table and examining the toys Stephen’s patients could play with. He carefully picked up the 3D puzzle, examining how much progress Harley had made, and wondering if Stephen would let him get his friend a get well present.

"I'll text him soon, don't worry." He gave Peter one last kiss on the forehead before deciding to get back to work.

 

"Dad...? Did you mean it when you said Peter can come over?" Harley said, coughing quietly. He hugged Virginia close and buried his face in Tony's neck.

“Of course I did, kiddo,” Tony assured his son, rubbing his back. “Any time, as long as his dad is okay with it. You’re always welcome to have friends over.” He rested his cheek briefly on Harley’s blond curls, hugging him tighter. “Did you think I wasn’t going to let him come over?”

"I don't know," Harley mumbled quietly. "I didn't want to bother you," he finally admitted after a while. "You seem so stressed lately..."

“Hey,” Tony said softly gently pulling away so he could look Harley in the eyes, “don’t you worry about that. I’m the adult, not you. I want you to worry about being a kid, having fun, and having friends. I don’t want you to worry about me, okay? I can take care of anything stressing me out and I can take care of you.”

He pressed his lips gently to Harley’s forehead. “I’m sorry I’ve made you worry, kiddo. But you don’t need to. We’re going to be okay, you and me. Right?”

He nodded so hard his head started to pound. He whined, tucking his head under Tony's chin and curling into the warmth. "I like Peter. And I like his dad, Peter talks about him a lot. It's funny that we saw him today."

Tony smiled. "I think so too. I'm glad we saw them, though. I think you two will like being able to spend some time together."

He ran his fingers through Harley's hair. "Still feel pretty crummy, buddy?" he asked sympathetically. "Should I take you home and see if Happy will bring you some ice cream and pick up your medicine?"

"Okay," Harley said, perking up a little. "As long as I get mint chocolate chip." He giggled.


	2. Chapter 2

Stephen texted Tony,  _ We're here in front of your house. _ Peter chattered beside him excitedly, telling him  _ this _ and  _ that _ and how  _ awesome _ Harley was. He nodded fondly, responding when he could get a word in.

_ Come on in! _ Tony texted back, before appearing in the doorway. Harley could be seen bouncing about behind his father, almost like he was trying to find an opening to sprint outside, though Tony wasn't letting him.

"Hello-" "HARLEY!"

Stephen smiled wryly as Peter ran straight past the two adults and to his friend, shaking his head fondly. "Hello, Mr. Stark," he said, holding out his hand. "Thank you for having us today."

"Of course, Dr. Strange," Tony said, shaking Stephen's hand, though without his usual firm grip- he didn't want to hurt the man's hand. "Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee, maybe? Some water?"

"What are we gonna do?" Peter asked, finally releasing Harley and staring at his friend with wide, excited eyes. Usually they were limited to the recess resources- now they had the freedom of Harley's  _ whole house _ .

Stephen's eyes narrowed and he called over Tony's shoulder, "Don't get into trouble, Peter-" but his son was already scurrying off, giggling with his friend. He sighed, before turning back to Tony with an apologetic smile. "Stephen is fine."

"As Tony is fine for me," Tony smiled back. "And don't worry about the kids. My lab is locked, so I'm sure they'll be fine." He rocked awkwardly on the balls of his feet. "So...kitchen?" he offered, sounding unsure. "I could get you that drink...."

"Yes, that sounds great," he said, relieved to have an excuse to get away from small talk. He had never spoken to any of the parents of Peter's friends- in fact, he had never concerned himself much with Peter's school life. No, that was much more up Christine's alley.

He cursed himself inwardly. He had to try harder, for Peter. "So, Tony," he said, walking with him to the kitchen, "tell me more about yourself?"

“Eh, there’s not much to tell,” Tony said awkwardly. “I mean, most stuff about me is already plastered in every magazine or newspaper you can get your hands on.” He shrugged. “Billionaire philanthropist inventor with an awesome kid. That pretty much sums me up.”

"I'm not asking about things I can read in a tabloid. I just want to get to know you better, for the sake of our sons," he said levelly. "Although that's completely valid, of course. You don't know me, and I'm sure there are tons of people that do...untoward things to get close."

“Sorry, I’m not trying to be standoffish,” Tony apologized. “I’m just used to people knowing everything I think is mildly interesting about myself.” He frowned. “I guess...maybe you could just ask me some questions and I could answer them?”

"No, not at all," Stephen was quick to reassure. He nodded at that, thinking about it. "I suppose...I wanted to know more about Harley? He seems like a good kid. I'm glad he and Peter are friends. Is he very sickly?"

Tony seemed to perk up at once at the idea of being able to talk about his son. “Not usually,” he said, glancing in the direction the boys had run off in. “He’s usually pretty healthy. A cold here or there, nothing too bad. Usually it’s just been things he can shake off in a day or two.”

He smiled proudly at the thought of his son. “He’s smart, like his mom,” he said, turning to the cabinet to get glasses or mugs. “I was so proud of him for getting second place in the science fair- I understand he only lost to your boy, so I guess that means they were just made to be friends.” He grinned. “What would you like to drink, by the way?”

Stephen's lips tugged upwards in a proud smile; he had been so happy for Peter when he'd won. The photograph of him with his project was still pinned on their refrigerator. "Did I miss seeing you at the fair?" he tilted his head, wondering how he could have missed someone as charming as Tony. Then his words caught up to Stephen. "Oh. Would you happen to have some tea?"

“Sure,” Tony said, pulling out a few boxes. “I’ve got Lord Bergamont, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Chamomile, Green, Raspberry, Peppermint- eh, maybe you can just look through and tell me what you want,” he said apologetically, pulling a different box out of the cupboard and offering it to Stephen. It was filled with ripped off bits tea boxes displaying the flavors and accompanying teabags.

“As for the science fair,” said Tony, frowning, “I didn’t go. I would have loved to be there, but I didn’t want to take the attention away from the kids, so I let them have their science fair day. I went in later to talk to the winners in the different grades. My friend Happy went to take some pictures of Harley for me the day of, though, which I appreciate.” He pointed to a picture of Harley standing proudly beside his project pinned front and center to the refrigerator with a magnet.

Stephen's eyes crinkled at the photo; perhaps he and Tony shared something, after all. His eyes flicked down to examine the boxes as much as it was to hide his fond look- he didn't want Tony to get the wrong idea, after all. After he picked out his tea- oolong, of course- he said quietly, "That was...really thoughtful of you. Did you get to meet Peter, then?"

“I did,” Tony said brightly. “He’s a smart kid. I didn’t realize he and Harley were so close, though.” Tony took Stephen’s teabag and moved to begin boiling some water for him. “His project was brilliant. If he and Harley teamed up for a science fair, imagine what they could do.”

He sighed a bit, glancing at the ceiling as remembered the science fair. “I wish I could have gone. This is gonna sound really stupid, but being a famous billionaire kinda sucks. The second I show up somewhere, it becomes all about me, whether I want it to be or not. I don’t know how Pepper put up with it, to be honest. It’s a nightmare to try and be a decent parent giving his kid a normal life.”

"I can't even imagine," Stephen admitted. He'd go crazy if he had to live in the spotlight like that, having every inch of his life scrutinized by the public. Tony and his family must have had it rough. "You seem to be doing pretty well," he said soothingly, honestly. Harley was well adjusted and happy, and Tony seemed like a good person. "I think-"

It turned out that it didn't matter what he thought, because right then something exploded in the other room.

Tony scrambled around the corner, looking around wildly for the boys.

Peter looked up at him, nervous and abashed at the sight of the wide-eyed man standing in the doorway.

“Are you two okay?” Tony demanded, looking Peter over. “Are you hurt?”

"Dad!" Harley said, looking up at him eagerly. "Look, we made battle bots." He grinned. "Er. they kind of...exploded before things could get going,  _ but _ ..."

Stephen sighed in relief, checking both the boys to see if they were hurt. "That was dangerous," he said sternly.

Tony let out a breath, shaking his head. “You scared me,” he told Harley, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “Please don’t do that again. My heart’s not in the best shape, kiddo.”

He inspected the bots, trying to look stern rather than impressed. “You two could have hurt yourselves,” he said, eyeing them shrewdly. “Perhaps you should play with something else. Later I’ll help you make some ‘battle bots’-  _ safe ones _ .”

“We’re okay, Papa,” Peter insisted, looking up at Stephen as Tony moved to gather up the pieces. “It was just loud. There’s no need to worry about us.”

Stephen ran a hand over his face- he was turning gray in no small part due to Peter. But he smiled fondly nonetheless, and ruffled Peter's hair. "Maybe next time stick to programming, sweetheart," he teased.

He gave Harley a cheeky look, and the boy ducked his head, embarrassed. Stephen looked at him curiously; Harley didn't seem like the type to be shy around strangers, after all.

But Harley just giggled and pulled Peter to a corner of the room to whisper in his ear. "Your dad is really nice. I like him."

“I like your dad, too,” Peter murmured back. “He’s funny.”

“It’s a wonder I haven’t gone gray,” Tony muttered, gathering up the pieces of the destroyed battle bots. “This kid is going to send me to an early grave at the rate that he’s going.”

Stephen chuckled, crouching and picking up some of the pieces as well. "Oh-" he hissed as his hand slipped on a sharp edge, slicing his skin open. "Sorry-" he clutched his shaking hand close to him, examining the cut. It wasn't too bad.

“Are you okay?” Tony asked, immediately dropping the pieces in his hands and holding out his own hands to examine Stephen’s injury. “You’re bleeding,” he said, frowning at the cut. “Come on, we should wash it and put something on it.”

Peter watched the two men with interest. “You okay, Papa?” He asked, cocking his head to one side.

Stephen's dragged his eyes away from Tony's hands touching his to smile reassuringly at Peter. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch."

Harley piped up. "Dad, should kiss it better," he said innocently, even though he was way too old to believe in stuff like that.

Tony promptly turned bright red, and turned to glance at Harley, as if to say,  _ Harley! Don’t say that! _

Shaking himself mentally, he shook his head. “I insist,” Tony said. “Neosporin and a bandaid, at the very least.”

“And a kiss,” Peter piped in, grinning at Harley. “Everything is better after a kiss.”

_ Zip it _ , Stephen’s glare said. He turned to Tony and smiled awkwardly. “That would be great, thank you.” 

Tony’s skin was warm against his own, and not for the first time he cursed their inability to keep still.

Tony felt his blush deepen, and he smiled at Stephen. “The first aid kit is in the bathroom,” he said, reluctantly letting Stephen’s shaking hand go. “I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

Stephen followed Tony to the bathroom, reluctant to leave the boys alone. “Thank you- I can handle it,” he said as he moved to take the first aid kit.

“I’m sorry about the battle bots,” Tony said apologetically. “I’ve taught Harley how to make robots but I didn’t think he’d try it when I wasn’t there. That was my fault.”

“I think our children are scheming,” Stephen said. He sighed. Hopefully they didn’t set the house on fire this time. He placed a bandage over the wound and put away the kit. “I wish I could do that with Peter,” he admitted. “But that’s not really my area of expertise.”

“Probably,” Tony chuckled dryly. “I know it isn’t quite the same, but maybe all four of us could do a project like that during one of these little meet ups? I’m sure the boys would like it.”

Stephen smiled at him, looking grateful. Tony really didn’t have to do any of this, so it was kind of him to offer. If Harley was anything like his father, then Peter would be in good hands. “I’m sure they would love that.”

“It could be fun,” Tony said, smiling. “And Peter seems like he likes technical and mechanical things.”

Stephen’s eyes crinkled and his smile widened. “Well you have more in common with him in that regard. Guess you better help me get caught up then, Tony.” He looked at him warmly, before heading back to the living room. 

 

Peter turned to Harley.  _ I have an idea _ , he mouthed, his eyes bright with excitement.

Harley grinned at him. Then he winked, mouthing,  _ I know exactly what you’re thinking. _

Peter turned to Harley, his eyes shining as their dads disappeared around the corner. “Does your dad like boys and girls?” Peter demanded. “Or just girls?”

Harley’s eyes sparkled and he said eagerly, “Dad likes all genders,” he said, having heard Tony say that once. “Yours??”

“Yeah!” Peter said excitedly. “Papa likes all genders too!” He grinned. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we could be  _ brothers _ ?” he whispered, a gleam in his brown eyes.

Harley faltered. “But...your mom, Peter,” he said quietly. He knew how much Peter loved his mom, and she had just…

Peter’s face fell slightly, but he smiled, looking soft and sad. “I think my mom would want my dad to be happy,” he said softly. He cocked his head to the side, worried and curious. “What about  _ your _ mom?”

“Same,” he said, bottom lip trembling. He hugged Peter, burying his face in his neck. “I really wish you were my brother.”

 

Stephen froze at the entrance of the room, having heard Harley’s words.

“Something wrong?” Tony asked, coming to a halt behind Stephen. He hadn’t heard what his son had said.

“We should try and get them together,” Peter whispered in Harley’s ear. “I bet they could make each other really happy. We’d be a great family. Y’know?”

Harley nodded, sniffling. He didn’t cry very often, but when it came to his family, he was a big softie. He turned away from Stephen and Tony to rub his eyes. 

Stephen’s heart constricted at the sight.  _ Oh, Harley... _ he shook his head at Tony, the words stuck in his throat.

Something about Stephen’s response made Tony realize they probably shouldn’t intrude on the boys.

“Harley, Peter,” he said, raising his voice so they could hear him, “why don’t you go watch a movie? I’ll clean up your bots later.”

Then he gently touched Stephen’s shoulder, offering to lead him back to the kitchen. “I think I owe you some tea,” he said softly.

 

Peter wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “You okay?” He asked, his voice thick due to the lump of emotion in his throat.

Harley threaded their arms together and leaned against him. “Mm,” he murmured, nodding. Gently, he tugged Peter to the couch and cuddled up next to him. “Love you,” He said. 

“Love you too,” Peter murmured, snuggling closer to Harley. It was nice to be sitting together like this, in Harley’s house. It felt safe and secure, and like they really were brothers rather than just friends.


	3. Chapter 3

“...thanks again,” Stephen said quietly once they were in the kitchen. “I think...I think maybe Harley’s lonely?”

Tony frowned at Stephen’s words, but not as though he were surprised or indignant. He looked sad and disappointed.

“I think so too,” he said softly. “I think he knows that a lot of kids only try to be friends with him because their parents know he’s my son. He rarely finds people who want to be friends with him for him. Usually they try to get close to him because of me.”

Tony felt extremely guilty about that. He loved Harley with all his heart and absolutely hated that his life was plagued by his father’s legacy and wealth. If only Tony were less rich and prolific- maybe Harley would truly have the life he deserved. All the friends, the comforts, the love....

“He’s a good kid,” Stephen said strongly. “You’re a good father.” He really believed that- from the moment Tony had walked into his clinic, seeing the worry in his eyes and the tenderness in his voice. He recognized it because he saw those exact things in himself. 

“Thanks,” Tony said, soft and sincere. “I guess...I dunno. Ever since I lost Pepper, I’ve felt really lost. I never know if I’m doing the right thing for Harley. I hear all the time how I’m a great inventor or businessman or whatever and, you know, that’s great. But that doesn’t matter to me, not in comparison to Harley.”

“Well, he has Peter now. And Peter is  _ nothing _ like those kids,” he said firmly before softening.

He looked suddenly concerned, his eyes widening in panic, like the thought he’d offended Stephen. “I didn’t mean to imply that he is,” he said quickly. “I know he’s not. He’s such a sweet kid, and Harley loves him. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“Not at all,” Stephen waved it off, smiling to show he didn’t mind. “I understand what you were trying to say.”

He paused for a moment, looking thoughtfully into his cup. “It means a lot to me that you invited Peter over. We would love to have you over sometime. I could cook you dinner,” he offered.

Tony was visibly relieved, a great deal of tension melting away at Stephen’s words. “I’m glad,” he said sincerely. “I’d hate to offend the dad of Harley’s only real friend.”

“You and Peter are welcome to come over any time,” Tony told him. “Even without warning. I don’t mind.” He grinned. “I might take you up on that,” he warned. “Harley could use a meal from someone who knows what they’re doing. I’m hopeless in the kitchen.”

Stephen tsked. “Proper nutrition is everything, you know,” he said before sternly telling him about this medical journal he’d just read. He got so absorbed in talking to Tony that he didn’t notice when he started to open up, gestures becoming more animated and smile relaxing.

Tony didn’t want to interrupt Stephen by assuring him that Harley  _ did _ get proper nutrition- even if Tony was helpless in the kitchen, it wasn’t like he made the boy survive off of TV dinners and fast food. It just meant that on nights when Tony had to provide meals rather than getting a personal chef to cook for Harley, the meals were less than extraordinary. Usually salads or something of similar simplicity.

He found it cute how passionate Stephen was, and he liked that the talk of this medical journal seemed to be calming him enough to open up to Tony. This conversation didn’t feel guarded or wary; it felt friendly.

“...and for the longest time, all Peter would eat were Spaghetti-Os. I was so frustrated, but Christine always said-“ Stephen faltered. His expression shuttered as he seemed to realize what he just said. He...never talked about Christine. With  _ anyone _ . He could barely bring himself to open up to Peter, and now he was babbling nonsense to his son’s friend’s father. 

He looked away, stammering some lame ending to his sentence.

“Kids can be picky,” Tony commented, noticing Stephen’s sudden discomfort. He didn’t want to pry- it seemed Christine was a touchy subject. As much as Tony was burning with curiosity, as much as he wanted to learn about the woman who had won Stephen’s heart, he felt it was more respectful to leave this boundary well alone for the time being.

“What sorts of movies do you and Peter like?” Tony asked, in an effort to change the subject. “If you don’t have plans, maybe we could order a pizza or two and watch a movie.”

“He likes sci-fi and fantasy films, especially the classics. I never really have time for movies, so I just watch what he watches,” he admitted, slightly embarrassed. “That’s so kind of you. I’d like that,” he smiled softly at Tony.

“Is  _ Harry Potter _ okay with you?” Tony asked, looking on the fridge for the magnet with the number to his and Harley’s favorite pizza place. “It’s one of Harley’s favorites.”

He pulled the magnet off the fridge, trying to hide his blush. “It’s nothing,” he assured the doctor in an offhand voice. “What kind of pizza would the two of you like?”

"Sounds great. Hm...something with vegetables?" Stephen mused. "Is that okay?" He  _ was _ kind of a health nut, now that he thought about it.

Stephen peeked at the flyer from behind Tony's shoulder, leaning in close. "We could get a margherita or something," he commented.

“Sure,” Tony said, nodding to Stephen. “And I think we’ve got stuff to make a salad in the fridge.” 

“Anything else?” Tony asked, looking around the counter. “J.A.R.V.I.S., where’s my cellphone?”

“In your front left pocket, sir,” replied a tired-sounding disembodied voice.

“Oh,” said Tony, finding it. “You’re right. Thanks.”

“Of course, sir.”

Stephen startled slightly. "JARVIS? Who was that?" He tilted his head at Tony. There was obviously no one else in the kitchen, so...

“Oh, sorry,” said Tony, looking a bit abashed. “That’s my A.I., JARVIS. He helps me take care of things around here.”

“I’ve also been known to keep an eye on Harley when Mr. Stark is busy in his lab or having meetings with board members or buyers,” JARVIS added.

He blinked once, twice, before his eyes widened. "An  _ A.I. _ ? That's amazing, Tony," he breathed. He knew Tony was a genius, of course, but this was something else entirely.

He didn't know where to look, so he just glanced up at the ceiling and said politely, "It's nice to meet you, JARVIS. Please take care of Peter while he's here."

“Of course, sir,” JARVIS assured him. “The boys are sitting on the couch in the theater room watching  _ Muppet Treasure Island _ . I’ll be sure to continue looking after the two of them for you.”

“Thanks, JARVIS,” Tony said, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way.

He turned back to Stephen, a bit red. “In terms of my inventions, I suppose you could say he’s one of my favorites,” he admitted. “He even has a Christmas stocking like Harley and DUM-E.” He shook his head. “I hope that didn’t come off as showing off or anything,” he said, quickly moving to check the pizza place’s number. “We wanted a margherita, right? Anything else?”

"Anything you'd like," Stephen said, smiling. He thought it was charming that Tony cared so much for his inventions- "That's cute," he couldn't help but say. "You should definitely show off." His eyes sparkled with mirth.

“I might get some cinnamon sticks,” Tony said. “I know, I know,” he said, a teasing note in his voice. “They’re not healthy, but they taste good.”

He smiled a bit sadly as he examined the number. “I guess,” he said, a bit noncommittally, as he dialed the number and held the phone to his ear. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Oh- hi.”

He quickly ordered the food and thanked them. “Forty five minutes,” he told Stephen. “Better get started on a salad. Oh, and your tea is done,” he added, sliding the cup over to the doctor.

"...thank you," Stephen said, slightly more subdued. He looked worriedly at Tony while he wasn't looking. Had he said something to offend him?

He blew at the steaming drink to cool it off, waiting a minute before taking a sip. Meanwhile, he followed Tony's lead in making a salad for them and the boys to eat.

“Anyway,” Tony said, trying to get back to the friendly conversation they’d had earlier, “how do you like being a pediatrician?”

"I love it," Stephen said genuinely. He'd always loved children- loved helping them by taking away their pain and sometimes even saving their lives. "I became a pediatrician because my sister was always sickly as a kid. I thought that maybe I'd like to make a difference in that way." It was obvious how passionate he was about that.

"That's sweet," Tony said sincerely. "Kids are great. I think I'd have a hard time doing your job, though. I'd get too upset over all the injuries and sicknesses I saw."

"Yeah, it's hard," Stephen said sadly. "Especially when you lose a kid. Someone so young shouldn't have to go through...yeah." He tried to smile to clear the heavy air. "I used to specialize in pediatric neurosurgery, but I was in an accident." He tried to treat it lightly but it still hurt even though he'd come to terms with it.

"That sounds even harder," Tony said, shuddering a bit. The idea of having to operate on some poor child's brain.... "I'm sorry about your accident. I assume it's how you got the scars on your hands?"

"Yes, that's correct." He cleared his throat. "I apologize. I didn't mean for the conversation to get too heavy..."

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Tony said, waving his hand dismissively. “I think I’m guilty of doing the same thing to our conversations much more than you are.”

He glanced over in the direction of the TV room. “I imagine being a doctor when you have a son must be difficult.”

"Not any more difficult than having to run a multi-billion dollar company," Stephen said, cracking a smile. "But yes, it's not easy. It's...strange, having to take care of kids that aren't your own. Sometimes I wish I had more time to spend with my son."

He took a sip of his tea. "I'm sure it's the same for you?" he asked.

“Yeah,” Tony said, nodding. “It’s definitely rough. But I mostly work here, at home. The hard days are when I have to leave. I can’t explain how stressed and anxious I feel when I have to go to India or Germany or some other country. I hate leaving him with someone else, especially when it’s not his mother anymore.”

"Ever think of retiring?" Stephen asked curiously. Tony certainly had enough money. Surely someone else could handle the company. "Or will you pass on the company to Harley one day?"

Tony frowned, as if trying to decide how to word his concerns. “I feel like the only person I could trust to take care of the company is Pepper. Unfortunately other people proved to me they couldn’t be trusted. But I like using it to help others.” He sighed, shaking his head. “If Harley wants to run it when he gets older, I’d love for him to inherit it. But if not, I wouldn’t mind it ending with me. I just feel like I can do more good before I need to say goodbye to it.”

"Stark Industries doesn't really dabble in MedTech, does it?" Stephen asked curiously. He had always been fascinated with the technology they constantly churned out, and honestly he thought Tony's genius could be put to damn good use if they ever focused on the medical field.

"I never really thought about it, to be honest," Tony admitted. "But I should. I'm sure I could benefit at least a handful of people. If you have any ideas in particular, you should let me know."

Stephen's eyes shone, and he leaned forward. "You came out with that prototype for nanotech last year, right? Those can be used for surgery as well- providing non-invasive techniques to get rid of tumors, perhaps it could even be used for blood diseases...the sky's the limit, really." He was passionate about this, anyone could tell.

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Tony said, his own eyes lighting up. "Imagine- that surgery on a grape would be  _ nothing _ . I could really help people with techniques like that...." he trailed off, his eyes shining.

Stephen's smile widened as Tony got into it as well. He nodded his head enthusiastically and started telling him about a new procedure being done in Germany involving similar tech. He didn't know how long they spoke, but by the time he tried to sip his tea again, it had gone cold.

"The pizza delivery man is at the door, sir," JARVIS informed them in a tired voice as Tony moved to offer to make Stephen a new cup.

"Oh!" Tony said, blinking in surprise. "I better go pay him- excuse me just one moment, please, Stephen." He took his wallet off the counter and counted out the correct change, then a sizable tip, and headed for the front door.

Stephen nodded, and figured he should go check on the kids. He paused at the entrance of the living room, a fond smile forming on his face at the sight of Harley and Peter curled up against each other on the couch, fast asleep. He waited for Tony to come back so he could see as well.

Tony came back a few minutes later, holding the boxes in his arms. He paused in the doorway and smiled at the sight of the two boys.

“What little sweethearts,” he murmured to Stephen, as Peter yawned in his sleep and hugged Harley closer.

He smiled one last time before turning back to him. But he misjudged the distance and suddenly he was face to face with Tony, only inches apart. He stared into those eyes, at that smile, transfixed.

Tony froze, staring back at Stephen. His eyes were beautiful, his smile was dazzling- everything about the doctor made his heart race.

It was stupid, and he knew it, but he felt like two parts of his mind were at war with each other- one demanding that he drop the food and sweep Stephen off his feet as he kissed him, the other reminding him that the doctor had no reason to have any interest in him.

After a moment, he gathered himself. Clearing his throat- and cursing how pale he was, because he could feel the warmth in his cheeks- he took a box and walked past Tony, into the kitchen. “Let’s, um. Let’s wake the boys up so they can eat? I’m sure they’ll be hungry.”

Tony mentally shook himself. “Y-yeah....yeah. Let’s do that. I’m sure they’d like some pizza.” 

He carried the other box into the kitchen and then walked back to the kids, gently shaking them awake.

“Peter, Harley,” he said gently, “wake up, kiddos. Come get some dinner and we’ll watch a movie. How’s  _ Harry Potter _ sound?”

Peter groaned and tried to snuggle closer to Harley, as if that would deter Tony from continuing his attempts to wake him.

Stephen tried to calm his beating heart as he looked through the cupboards for some plates and utensils. He set them up at the island counter, calling for the boys. "Come on, Peter. There's  _ pizza _ ."

Harley's eyes snapped open at that and he nudged at Peter, shimmying down from the couch. "Come on come on come on come  _ on! _ " He shook Peter awake, but waited for him so they could go to the kitchen together.

Reluctantly, Peter got to his feet, yawning, and followed Harley into the kitchen.

Tony followed behind them, chuckling a bit to himself. “Seems you’re not much of a waking up person, eh, Peter?” he asked, smiling at the boy as he ruffled his light brown hair affectionately. “That’s okay. I’m not, either.”

Peter looked up at Tony and blushed (just like his papa!). He ducked his head and mumbled, "Yeah..." before rushing after Harley, smile on his face.

Harley grabbed his hand and pulled him up to sit on one of the barstools. Stephen smiled at the both of them and opened up the box so they could get slices for themselves, studiously avoiding looking at Tony.

“So, which movie do you two want to watch?” Tony asked, pulling two slices from the box and putting them on a plate for himself, trying not to look at Stephen either. 

“Get some salad,” he added to the boys, pushing the bowl towards them.

Peter rolled his eyes a bit. This had to be his papa’s doing.

“If you two eat well enough you can have some cinnamon sticks for dessert,” Tony continued in a bracing voice.

Harley scrunched his nose at the salad but sighed and spooned some greens onto his plate anyway. He looked at Peter and shrugged. "I'm game for anything. We can do a marathon!"

Stephen had to eat the pizza without a knife and a fork because his hands shook too much for them. Harley looked at him curiously, studying his hands but he was too polite to say anything. Instead he offered Peter, "You wanna drink anything? Or, um, Dr. Strange?"

“I can make Dr. Strange some more tea,” Tony said, glancing at him. “You two head into the TV room and pick out a movie. I’ll be in with your drinks in a bit.” He shooed the two on their way, promising to make them fruit smoothies to drink.

“You can join them, if you want,” Tony said, looking up at Stephen. “I’ll bring your tea to you when it’s done. You like oolong, right?”

"I like any tea," he said, smiling shyly. "Thank you, Tony."


End file.
